The Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad

The Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad is a Class III shortline carrier located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The LS&I is another of the many ore haulers once located in the upper Midwest regions. However, unlike most it continues to live on today at over 110 years of age and still moving iron ore.  For years the LS&I was a "railfan hotspot" because it operated a fleet of classic American Locomotive Company (Alco) diesels.  Today, these are no longer on the roster (replaced by General Electric units) and the Lake Superior & Ishpeming is owned by the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company.  While a few branches and other secondary lines have been shed over the years the railroad currently operates from near Ishpeming east to Marquette, a distance of about 25 miles.

The LS&I was quite fond of Alcos to pull heavy loads of ore and never owned anything else until the late 1960s when it began acquiring General Electric models. Here are three of the classic RSD15 Alligator designs about to pull their train out of the yard at Eagle Mills, Michigan on September 26, 1987.

The Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad dates back to 1892 as the Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railway and a subsidiary of the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company, which has not changed to this day. The original line between Presque Isle (Marquette) and Ishpeming was completed in 1896 to iron ore from the ranges near Ishpeming to the Lake Superior docks. Two other systems would also become part of the LS&I to expand its length in the peninsula region. In 1895 the Munising Railway Company was chartered to build a line between the Lake Superior port town of Munising to Princeton, roughly 30 miles south of Marquette, and a branch from Stillman to Cusino (southwesterly of Munising).

The other railroad was the Marquette and South Eastern Railway Company, which built a line in 1900 between Big Bay (north of Marquette) and Lawson, a distance of about 60 miles. In 1911 these two systems merged to form the Munising, Marquette and South Eastern Railway Company, which in 1923 merged with the LS&I to form the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad. What resulted was a 173 mile system that stretched as far north as Big Bay, as far west as Ishpeming, and as far east as Munising and Hartho. At one point the railroad extended even further to a logging site called Sunrise Landing tapping additional timber reserves (this line was later cut back and abandoned in either the 1970s or early 1980s). This new system also had numerous connections with large Class I systems like the Soo Line, Chicago & North Western and later the Milwaukee Road once the LS&I had built a branch to Republic, Michigan in the 1950s.

While ore was virtually always the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad’s primary source of traffic it also was able to garner other traffic, such as pulpwood along its eastern lines. Today, much of the 170+ mile system has been abandoned or sold off as mining operations and/or traffic in general has dried up over the years. However, you can still catch LS&I trains moving regularly every day from Marquette westward to the Empire Mines and City of Ishpeming (the railroad also moves Ferrel Gas in Negaunee, Michigan.)

While the railroad once owned a vast collection of diesel locomotives, almost all of which came from Alco (such as RS-3s, RSD-12s, and RSD-15s), today its roster is made up of both General Electric and Alco units. The Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad is just another one of the unique facets of visiting Michigan, the Great Lakes State. From an operational standpoint the Great Lakes State can vary from stiff, mountainous grades to flat, shoreline running along the Great Lakes.

The state is also home to the inventor of the historic Shay locomotive, Ephraim Shay, which built his first prototype in 1877. Today, Michigan is home to several Class I and shortline systems and along with interurban and current Amtrak operations, a more diverse passenger network has been proposed to help alleviate highway congestion. So, if you are ever in the Upper Peninsula I would very much recommend stopping by to visit this historic and unique ore-hauling railroad. For a gallery of photos depicting the LS&I please click here.

Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad Diesel Locomotive Roster

For a current diesel locomotive roster of the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad please click here. Lastly, please click here to locate preserved LS&I diesel locomotives. Below, is a historic diesel roster of the LS&I.

Two LS&I RSD12s, #1851 and #1852, appear to be off duty as they sit at the engine terminal in Eagle Mills during April of 1985.

Here is another scene showing a trio of the LS&I's Alligators in service, working hard as helpers to push a load of taconite up the Presque Isle ore dock during October of 1988.

Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad Steam Locomotive Roster

For a more complete roster of Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad steam locomotives please click here. Also, for information regarding surviving LS&I steam locomotives please click here.

This fall scene shows three of the LS&I's RSD12s pulling hard on a fully loaded train of ore jennies at Eagle Mills Junction on September 26, 1987. Here the shortline had a connection to the Chicago & North Western.

For more on classic railroads like the LS&I consider one (or all) of Mike Schafer's Classic American Railroads books (listed below is the first in the series). He has published three thus far covering virtually all of the most well known fallen flags. I have all three in my collection and highly recommend them, the photography is excellent along with learning a general history of each railroad. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.